


Wrong Number

by Blacksheep28, firedrakegirl



Series: Soft Horrortale and Others [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: First Meetings, Gen, HorrorTale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:00:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22165276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blacksheep28/pseuds/Blacksheep28, https://archiveofourown.org/users/firedrakegirl/pseuds/firedrakegirl
Summary: Ora receives a panicked call in the middle of the night and chooses to help out the monster on the other end.
Series: Soft Horrortale and Others [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1595434
Comments: 7
Kudos: 69





	1. Chapter 1

Ora received a panicked call in the middle of the night. "i don't know what happened, they just started popping out of nowhere," a voice babbled into the phone. "i need to fix this, but i have no idea where to start, and my brother...how do i explain this to my brother?"

“...huh? Who is this? Where are you? What happened?” Ora asked, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

There was a long pause from the other end before cursing. “wrong number. great. sorry just panicked.”  
“Wait, are you okay? How can I help?”

“that depends. know why there’s now a broken double of myself in my house?”

“Well, I can’t answer that but maybe if you talk me through what happened, you can?”

The sound of a deep breath sounded through the phone. “fine. why not. could work.” There was silence for a moment before the stranger started talking. “i’ve been working on stabilizing the timeline permanently. i already had a broken machine that worked on time and space, so i figured no big deal to adapt it. and it was working. from my notes there’s absolutely no reason for this to have happened. checked carefully before even making the modifications. messing with quantum physics is one thing you don’t want to get wrong. laws will slam on you hard.” A low chuckle carried over the phone. “so i set it up, double checked everything, pulled the switch. i checked the readout on the timeline, and it worked. no more dead ends, no more repeats. couldn’t have been happier. headed for bed, only for the machine to let out a rumble. air ripped, and i actually thought i was gonna be erased for daring to try to do what humans can. except instead of erasing me there’s now doubles of me and my brother that look like they should be dead.”

“Okay....I will be the first to admit that I’m not familiar enough with quantum physics to give any real hypothesis, but I have read quite a few sci fi novels, and it sounds as though you’ve managed to yoink a parallel you and your brother to this timeline in stabilizing it.” Well, he’d probably figured that much out himself. Good job Ora. Way to be captain obvious. “Do you need help? Are they dangerous? Do you want me to come over?”  
“heh. no. they’re not dangerous.”

“Are you sure? Or are they making you say that?”

“no! they aren’t forcing me!” He sounded furious that was even implied.

“Sorry dude. Just wanted to make sure you’re safe. That was really tactless of me. I apologize.” She winced.  
“...i get it. you don’t know me. look, real sorry about this call.”

“Hey, it’s alright. Sounds like a really rattling situation. And hey, you woke me from a nightmare, so thank you.”

“glad to help,” he joked.

“So, if you don’t mind my prying, how are you going to explain things to your brother?”

There was a moment of silence and then cursing. “start with feeding them so they don’t look so bad, for starters.”

“That’s not a bad idea. Do you need a place to hide them until you can explain things?”

There was a stretch of silence. “depends. know anything about monsters?” The voice joked.

“I know a little about monster psychology, and I have google? Does that help?”

“more than you know.” Another deep breath. “look, these doubles...have no reason to like humans. and they’re hurt, bad. you would need to be patient with them, but i do think some time before introducing them to my brother would be good.”

“I’m good at patience,” she assured him. “If you give me your address I can be there ASAP.”

He obliged. “oh, and i’m sans the skeleton,” he added.  
“Oh yeah, names are a thing. Ora, Ora the human.” She chuckled. “Nice to meetcha Sans. I’ll be there in about fifteen, since you live pretty close to me.”

“huh, whaddya know.” Sans hung up, leaving Ora to find her way into a high class monster neighborhood.

Ora jumped out of bed and got dressed quickly, hesitating before pulling on a pair of black cargo pants and a punny t shirt, before brushing her hair into a semblance of order and putting it into a ponytail. Maybe not the best first impression, but it would do. Before long she was approaching the neighborhood and her nerves were making her fidget in her seat. The address she’d been given lead to a rather cozy two story house with a big balcony on top and a large yard with a pine tree in front. The blinds flickered as her car approached, porch lights on. “Woah.” She stared at the house for a moment before approaching the door. She wasn’t sure if she should knock or not, and fidgeted for a moment before reaching out to do just that.

The door opened and a short skeleton looked up at her. “ora?”

“Yeah. Sans?” She smiled hesitantly at him. Social anxiety sucked.

“glad to meet you.” Sans scratched his head. “even if this isn’t ideal by any stretch.”

“Heh, it’s all good. There are worse ways to meet a person.” She belatedly offered him a hand to shake. Sans shook his hand and gestured for her to enter the house. He lead the way to the living room where there were two more skeletons, these ones looking like they walked straight out of a horror movie. One skeleton looked like a heavily distorted version of Sans, at least a foot taller and heavier, red and brown stains on his clothes, an axe in one hand, and a crater in his skull. One eye socket glowed a dying red, the other completely devoid of life. The other skeleton was tall, almost over eight feet, and looked painfully stretched out. He wore what had once been a colourful uniform that was now badly worn and faded, and he had sharp fangs growing crookedly from his mouth.

Ora gasped at the other two skeletons, properly horrified. “Gods, how can I help you guys?! Hugs? Food? Something else I can’t think of?” The two skeletons looked at her warily, though the tall one seemed to be smiling. The cracked Sans scratched idly at his dark eye socket. 

“HI HUMAN. YOU ARE GOING TO HELP US?” The tall skeleton’s voice was rough and scratchy, as if he was having trouble.

“...food is always good,” the broken Sans said.

“right. i’ll grab some, let you talk," Sans told them. Sans quickly left to get food.

“Yeah, I’m hoping I can help you out. My name’s Ora, by the way.” She offered a hand for either to shake, smiling genuinely at them.

“PAPYRUS.” He shuffled forward and awkwardly took Ora’s hand in his, almost completely dwarfing it.

“...sans. why are you helping?”

“It’s nice to meet you both.” She took a moment to think about how to answer. Why was she helping? After all, it was a wrong number. She could have ignored it and gone back to sleep. “Well, for one, because it’s the right thing to do. For another, I like helping people. Is...is that a problem?” She started to fidget with her ring. “I didn’t offend you by offering did I? If so I’m so sorry!”

Papyrus looked deeply sorrowful in that moment. “OH HUMAN. IT IS RIGHT TO HELP SOMEONE WHEN THEY NEED IT.”

“...sorry. still...jumpy.”

“No, don’t apologize!” She hurried to assure him. “It’s all good. It looks like you’ve been through some ...stuff.” She wasn’t sure how touchy they were. “But I’m sure we’ll be able to get along, right?” She smiled again.

Sans came back into the room with some rather large sub sandwiches. “here.” The pair accepted it, both immediately eating it though Papyrus ate a lot slower. “you guys good with her?”

“...she’s good. but no promises.”

Sans relaxed. “wouldn’t ask ya to. just want you guys to be better before i try and explain this, you know?”

The scary Sans paused. “...axe you a question?” Ora giggled at the pun, perhaps a bit more than most people would, before falling quiet to let them talk.

“heh. sure.”

“...you gonna tell your brother? about...”

Sans shrugged. “Some of it, at least. No reason to keep hiding it now that it’s over, and he deserves to know at least some of it. he’s not dumb.”

The broken Sans looked at Papyrus, a faint grin on his face. “yeah. not at all.”

Papyrus looked at Ora. “SORRY I’M NOT AT MY BEST, BUT IT IS VERY KIND FOR YOU TO HELP US.”

“Really, Papyrus, it’s my pleasure.” She smiled before looking at the.... uninjured Sans. “Should we get out of your nonexistent hair?” She didn’t want to overstay her welcome, nor upset anyone. “Or is there something else that needs to be discussed?”

"here's my number." He passed it to both Ora and the other Sans. "anything happen, call. i can help." He locked eye contact with his other self at this point, who slowly nodded. "they're gonna need a lot of monster food, so keep a high stock. otherwise...good luck."

“You got it Sans.” She paused. “That’s gonna get confusing. Oh well.” She looked at the two going with her. “Do you mind a midnight trip to Walmart for food? I don’t have much monster food at home. Sorry. I'm a bad host.” She winced.

"IT'S FINE," Papyrus assured her quickly. "YOU DIDN'T KNOW WE WOULD BE STAYING WITH YOU."

"...sounds good," the injured Sans agreed.

"Alright, then let's get going." She smiled, before turning to the uninjured Sans. "I guess we'll see you later."

"see you later." Sans winked.

Ora took a deep breath, and headed out to her car with the two broken skeletons. It looked like a trip to a store was in order for her guests. Hopefully this wouldn't bite her later.


	2. Chapter 2

"Alright you two, follow me. The Walmart is only about ten minutes away." She smiled at the two larger skeletons, walking out to her car. She was grateful she'd bought an SUV when her old car died. Papyrus wouldn't have fit in the old one. Papyrus very carefully bent down to fit into the car, squeezing into the back. Sans clambered into the front seat, the dim red light still focused on you. Ora was starting to get uncomfortable with the staring, but did her best not to show it. "Do you guys like music?"

"I DO!" Papyrus piped up happily from the back. "I LIKE ALL KINDS OF MUSIC."

"How about you Sans? Do you like music?" She glanced at him as she started to drive.

"...yes." He hadn't thought about that in a while. He did his best to keep his brother happy, but...when was the last time he thought of enjoying something for himself? He'd been too busy.

"Do you have a preference? Would you guys like me to put on some music?" She could sense a hesitance in his statement, but didn't want to push. She'd only just met him after all.

"PUT ON SOME DANCE MUSIC," Papyrus cheerfully requested.

"That okay with you Sans?" She asked, slowly reaching for the button to turn on the radio.

"...yup."

"Cool." She hit the button and flipped through stations until she found something that fit. "How's this?" She couldn't help swaying in her seat slightly. Papyrus happily swayed back and forth to the music in the back. "PERFECT!" Sans grinned and bobbed his head a couple times to the beat. "...good taste."

"Great." She smiled and fell quiet while listening to the music and driving. She'd have to remember to pick up some pixie sticks while at the Walmart, or she'd never be able to stay awake all day. They arrived at the Walmart, both skeletons staring at the giant store in awe. “IT’S SO BIG!” Papyrus exclaimed.

She grinned. “Wait til you see the inside. They carry pretty much everything here. C'mon!” She wanted to grab their arms but held back. She didn’t know them that well yet. 

"EVERYTHING?" Papyrus asked eagerly. He believed it. The store was huge!

“What are your favorite foods? I wanna make sure to stock up on those.”

"...not picky," Sans said.

"REALLY, ANYTHING IS FINE," Papyrus agreed.

“Well that’s no help at all.” She teased. “We’ll just have to get a wide variety.” She was mentally calculating her budget. High level monster food could get pricy, but if she stuck to ramen and frozen food for a while, she could get them a lot. That should work. “Do you guys need clothes? We should probably pick up a couple pillows too. Do you guys mind sharing a bed?”

“...sharing is fine,” Sans agreed slowly. He didn’t sleep well without his brother anymore. Not that he had even before that, but...he didn’t hide it anymore. There was no point.

“YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME TROUBLE FINDING ANYTHING FOR US,” Papyrus chattered nervously. Sans was so much thicker now, and he knew he was far taller than he used to be. Clothes didn’t fall in his size. He hadn’t thought about what he was wearing in a while either.

Both were instantly distracted when they entered the store. “SO MUCH FOOD,” Papyrus exclaimed loudly.

Ora grabbed a cart. “Alright. We can look for clothes second then. I can attempt to alter things if we don’t find quite the right size. I’m not great at it but it can be an interim solution, until we can find stuff that actually fits.” She smiled at their reactions to the grocery side. “Let’s go get you guys some food. If something catches your eye, toss it in the cart.” Papyrus rushed forward, and began to flutter around. As bountiful as the food was most of it wasn’t magic infused, so Papyrus only selected some of it. A bit of fruit, ingredients for making spaghetti, and lots of soup stock. Sans picked up a bit of ketchup, but waited until they reached the monster food section and browsed with care to pick out the high grade stuff for his brother. Ora also grabbed a few basic cooking items that were the highest grade magic she could find. She wanted to be sure the two would be okay with anything she made. They didn’t stop until the cart was threatening to spill, and somehow Sans managed to squeeze even a bit more after that.

Ora encouraged them to buy as much as they needed, and then some, before dragging them to the clothes section. “Let’s at least get you guys some pjs and at least one clean outfit.” She looked over the stains on theirs. She wished she could guess paint or ketchup, but knew better. Those were bloodstains. The pair looked around the clothes, before slowly picking through what was there. Sans settled on a couple extra large shirts and a pair of shorts, while Papyrus selected some beige pants and a tank top. 

"...tailor?" Sans asked.

“You’ll have to make do with me til morning, I’m afraid.” She admitted. “Most places aren’t open yet.” She sighed and steered the cart towards checkout. “Is there anything else you guys need?”

Sans and Papyrus looked at each other in surprise before back to her. "WHERE'S THE TAILORS FOR HERE?" Papyrus asked.

“There isn’t one here.” She thought for a moment, thinking about the other businesses inside the store. “Nope. There’s a pretty good one near my house, but they won’t open til ten.”

"WHY WOULDN'T THEY HAVE A TAILOR WHERE THEY SELL CLOTHES?" Papyrus asked in confusion. They'd used one even before they got warped.

“That would make sense, but humans are greedy, therefore they have separate places for tailors instead of in the same places.” She sighed. “Humanity sucks.”

Sans nodded his head in agreement, tugging briefly on his dead eye socket. Papyrus just looked sad. "OH."

The look on Papyrus’s face was heartbreaking. “I’m sorry hun.”

“IT’S OKAY. IT’S...PROBABLY JUST A CULTURAL DIFFERENCE.” He really hoped that was true.

“I hope so.” She didn’t have the heart to make him sadder. “But is there anything else you guys can think of that you need?”

They looked at each other silently communicating. “NO, JUST A PLACE TO SLEEP,” Papyrus said at last.

"Alright, then let's check out and head back to my place. I'll change the sheets and you two can have my bed." She smiled at them both, leading the way to the checkout line. She knew this was going to take a chunk from her account, but she’d make due. It should be a simple manner of talking to her manager and getting more hours, and maybe making some more jewelry to sell.

“OH, THAT’S NOT NECESSARY,” Papyrus protested immediately. “I DON’T WANT TO KICK YOU OUT OF YOUR BED.”

“...i can take the couch.”

“Don’t be silly.” She assured them with a smile. “I only have one couch but the bed is big enough for both of you. Besides, half the time I sleep on the floor anyway.”

"IT'S YOUR HOME," Papyrus insisted. "REALLY, YOU SHOULD NOT BE PUT OUT BY US."

“I wouldn’t offer if it was a problem.” She promised. “Really. I’m not joking about spending half my nights on the floor.”

"...why?" Sans asked slowly.

“Why am I giving you my bed or why do I like sleeping on the floor?” She asked as she paid the poor terrified cashier.

“WHY DO YOU SLEEP ON THE FLOOR?” Papyrus asked. Sans nodded his head after a moment.

“Because of the fact that I’m weird. I’ve done it since I was a kid. Some nights I just curl up under my beading desk.” She shrugged. “I dunno how it started.

“OH I SEE. LIKE SLEEPING IN A PILLOW FORT.” Papyrus nodded safely while Sans grinned creepily at the cashier.

She nodded, chuckling at Sans. “Yeah, kind of. It’s more stuffed animals than pillows, but you’ll see that for yourself soon.” Papyrus and Sans helped carry the supplies back out to the car and settled down. "Thanks for the assist guys." She grinned at them both, starting her car and heading back to her apartment. "More music?"

“YES PLEASE!” Papyrus gave his best grin, ignoring the usual twinge of pain. Ora turned on the music again, letting the dance tunes fill the car, bouncing along to it. Papyrus rocked out as music filled the car, Sans staring out the window curiously.

"Have any questions or anything?" She noticed Sans' curious stare out the window.

Sans looked at Ora, thinking slowly. “...it’s crowded.”

"I guess a little. Not as bad as it could be later on in the day. Is that...a problem?"

Sans reached a hand up before stopping. “...no. just....thought the Surface would be....quieter.”

She had to laugh. "Not this part of it. There are some areas that are, nearest is about two hours away, I believe. We can visit there sometime, if you'd like. But not tonight. I just don't have that much energy."

"WOW," Papyrus breathed. "SO EVERYONE CHOSE TO LIVE HERE?"

"...sounds nice."

“Nah, this is a small city. Humans live all over the earth.”

"YES, BUT," Papyrus waved his arms, "THEY AREN'T CROWDED. THEY CAN MOVE ELSEWHERE. THEY CHOSE HERE."

She thought about that. “Yeah. Cities are a thing because they offer a lot in a small area. Your job can be within walking distance of your house, fifteen restaurants, and a movie theater.” Did that mean that Sans and Papyrus has been stuck in an overcrowded Underground?

"THAT IS GREAT!" Papyrus pronounced. He bounced in his seat, now taking his own turn to stare out the window. Sans chuckled softly.

She smiled as she pulled up to her building. “Alright. We’re gonna have to be quiet until we get into my apartment. It’s still early morning and people are still sleeping.”

"ALRIGHT." Papyrus got out of the car, along with Sans, and the pair...practically ghosted carrying everything. She sighed as she watched them go with all the bags, before hurrying to unlock all the doors ahead of them. At least they knew how to be quiet as she lead the way to her place. That level of quiet though...something felt off about it. The brothers moved in almost eerie sync in the room, putting things down and still dead quiet. Papyrus smiled at her, crooked teeth wide and catching.

Ora’s breath caught in her throat for a moment before she shook her head at herself. “Alright guys. Thanks!” She smiled at them. “So would you like food or sleep first?” She started putting away the cold stuff so it wouldn’t go bad. The rest could wait.

"Food," Papyrus immediately replied.

She nodded. “Alright. Whatcha want? I’m not the best cook, but I can definitely whip something up while you guys relax. Or if you want to shower or anything while I do so, that’s fine too.”

"...fast meal," Sans said. Papyrus nodded in agreement. "Something Fast."

“That doesn’t actually tell me what you want to eat.” She looked at what they’d bought. “Okay, um, fast...oh! Here!” She pulled out the box of cinnamon bunnies and offered it to the boys. “Will this hold you over until I can cook something more hearty?”

"Yes, Thank You," Papyrus said politely. He carefully divided the treats between himself and his brother, and they both slowly nibbled away at them.

“Of course guys.” She sent them a wide smile, though the way they were eating, as if they had to make each bite last as long as possible...it was breaking her heart. She quickly pulled out a pan and started sautéing some of the monster food, planning a stir fry. While that started she also got working on a soup that would be ready later that day, or could be left in the fridge and eaten whenever they wanted. “The real meal will be ready soon. Ish.”

“Thank You Ora,” Papyrus exclaimed happily. “You've Helped Us Out Greatly.”

“It’s my pleasure hun.” She shot them a smile as she put a lid on both the pot and pan. “I’m gonna go change the sheets while that simmers. Make yourselves at home guys.”

“She Is So Kind,” Papyrus told Sans. He didn’t notice the tears on his face. Sans grinned back, pretending that his brother was whole and happy. He almost wished for a reset, though it seemed the kid wasn’t even kind enough to grant them that. He couldn’t pretend this was a bad dream and shield Papyrus. At least the machine had given him this. “...yeah she seems...” Sans struggled to finish the sentence. Papyrus nodded in agreement. “Exactly.”

A few minutes later Ora walked back into the kitchen, quickly becoming alarmed at the tears on the tall skeleton’s face. “What happened? Are you okay? So I need to beat someone up?”

Papyrus shook his head. “IT’S NOTHING. I’M JUST REALLY GLAD TO HAVE MET YOU.”

“Oh! Really? I mean,” she shook her head. “I’m really glad to have met you two too.” She hesitated for a moment. “Would it be too forward of me to ask if you’d like a hug?” Papyrus shifted in surprise. He was so used to humans looking scared of him, of pulling away. He could hear their screams when Sans dragged them off to get meat for everyone while he pretended everything was alright and that things would get better. 

And here a human was, arms and soul open to him. “You Would Really Like That?” He asked shyly.

“I’ve wanted to offer a hug since the first time I saw y’all.” She opened her arms welcomingly. “You look like you need it. And I’m always available for hugs.”

Papyrus quickly reached over and pulled her into a hug, arms wrapped all around her. It felt so good. “You're So Nice To Us,” Papyrus said. “Even After We Ate So Many Humans.” Sans stilled, grinning dangerously at Ora. She better not do anything to hurt his brother.

She stiffened for a moment, before hugging him tighter. “I’m nice to you because you deserve it.”

Papyrus happily returned the hug, squeezing her while still doing his best to be aware of his strength. He finally let go and turned back to his food. “I Will Show You That I Do,” he promised.

She grinned at him and turned to Sans. “Would you like a hug as well?” She asked.

Sans reached up and tugged at his eye socket, scraping hard across the bone. “heh. i’m good.”

She winced slightly at the sound. “Oki doki. But my offer stands if you change your mind.” She went to the stove and plated the stir fry, a huge helping for each of the boys. “Where do you guys wanna sit? Table or couch? Or bed?”

“THE TABLE WOULD BE NICE,” Papyrus said. “WE COULD ALL FIT TOGETHER.”

She smiled at him and set their plates on the nearby table. “Bone apatite.” She grinned, taking a seat herself.

Papyrus twitched slightly as Sans chuckled. “I WILL LET THAT GO AS YOU ARE OUR HOST,” Papyrus informed her. He dug into the stir fry and almost started crying again. It was so good, and he could feel it soothing aches he hadn’t even been aware of. Sans dug in as well, eating as quickly as he could. It helped fill the hole his magic drained away into keeping him alive. Her heart was breaking for them as she watched them eat. If they’d been subsisting on humans then....well, she wasn’t going to let them starve. She’d make sure they had enough good food, even if it meant she lived on ramen for the rest of her life. Sans finished quickly before turning to just take in the sight of his brother eating as much as he wanted. It was great. He wished he had never learned how precious that was.

“Do you want more Sans?” Ora asked, “or Papyrus? Because I made plenty.”

“PLEASE,” Papyrus said sweetly. Sans bobbed his head.

She grinned and took their plates for a refill. “Not a problem guys.” She looked at the pan. “I think there’s enough left for a small snack after this. Do you want me to make something else?”

“NO, NO, THIS IS PLENTY,” Papyrus assured her. They couldn’t eat everything at once! It still had to last. And he was already close to being full with this second plate.

“If you’re sure.” She smiled, sitting back down.

"I AM," Papyrus responded firmly. He set into his second serving of stir fry, savoring the explosion of flavors. It was so much richer than he was used to. He remembered when all food used to be this good, before it got too scarce. At least his cooking had improved. Sans ate his second plate just as quickly as the first. Maybe with actual access to food his magic would be able to settle down. Unlikely, considering he should be dead, but hey. Anything was possible. They were suddenly in another world after all. She smiled to see them eating so eagerly and appearing to enjoy it. After a moment or two she stood and went to change into her pjs and gather some minimal bedding to make a nest under her desk.

Papyrus looked at Sans. "SHE DIDN'T PANIC WHEN I TOLD HER WHAT WE ATE. SHE REALLY WANTS TO HELP US." He smiled. Sans chuckled and nodded his head. They really had been lucky. Hopefully it'd keep holding up.


	3. Chapter 3

Ora walked out in an oversized Doctor Who shirt and sweatpants with the name of an asylum on them, holding a small bundle of blankets and stuffed animals. “The bedroom is all yours when you’re ready to sleep.” She grinned at them, dropping her bundle carelessly in the corner.

“THANK YOU VERY MUCH,” Papyrus told Ora. He collected the dishes and crossed to the sink where he began to wash them, taking great care to not cause damage. Sans watched him, staring off into space.

“I could’ve done that!” She exclaimed, “you didn’t need to!”

“I WANTED TO,” Papyrus answered.

“he’s pretty...handy to have around,” Sans said slowly. He grinned.

Ora snorted at the pun, before dissolving into laughter. “That was bad!”

“...hehe.” He still had it, even if it wasn’t as snappy as before. Papyrus just shook his head.

“It’s nice to meet another punny person.” She grinned at him.

Papyrus groaned. “YOU TOO?” Sans’ grin widened.

“Sorry Papyrus. I can’t lie. One of my bosses named me the queen of dad jokes. Hey Sans,” She started, a grin pulling at the edges of her lips. “What did the cannibal get when he was late for dinner?”

“...what?” Sans asked, still grinning. This human had a good sense of humour. He’d hate to have to kill her.

“The cold shoulder.” She giggled.

Sans took a moment, before breaking into chuckles. “...why don’t cannibals eat clowns?”

"Why not?" She asked eagerly.

He knew the punchline. He knew it. It was... “...because they taste funny.”

She laughed until she snorted. "That is amazing!"

Sans beamed. Papyrus let out a snort doing his best to hide his own grin. “....funny bone tickled?”

"It was very humerus." She snickered. "I can't fibula."

Sans lit up with laughter, the rough noise filling the room.

“THE PAIN,” Papyrus lamented.

"I'm sorry Papyrus, I can't help it."

Sans grinned and winked cheerfully at Ora. Papyrus put the clean dishes aside to dry. “I ALREADY PUT UP WITH MY BROTHER’S HUMOR I SUPPOSE I CAN SUFFER YOURS AS WELL.”

She smiled at both of them. "Thanks Papyrus. I'll try to keep them to a minimum while you're around." She was happy to see them relaxing.

Papyrus grinned. "...come on bro," Sans said slowly. "we should...see the room."

“Like I said, there are clean sheets on the bed, and your new clothes are in there too. If you’d like, I can wash those for you.”

"THANK YOU," Papyrus said gratefully. The tall skeleton stood up and left the room to head upstairs, Sans lingering behind a moment before following him. A while later Papyrus came back down with the stained and torn clothes they'd been wearing earlier. "HERE THEY ARE.

Ora took them with a smile. “Alrighty. I’m gonna put them in. Feel free to explore the place if you’d like.” She went to the laundry alcove and put the clothes in. She’d do her best to repair them once they were clean. Papyrus nodded in thanks and began to walk around the small apartment, examining what he could.

A moment or two later there was a thud just a moment before she rejoined them, absently rubbing her shoulder. “Find anything interesting?”

Papyrus looked Ora over carefully. "I FOUND YOUR TV. ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

“Hm?” She seemed confused for a moment before laughing. “Oh, yeah. Don’t worry. I just tripped and caught myself on the wall with my shoulder.” She waved off his concern with a genuine smile. “Don’t worry about it.”

"IF YOU'RE SURE." Papyrus still watched her worriedly.

“I’m a klutz. At worst I’ll have a bruise, so really, no biggie. Did you want to watch the tv?”

"OH! UM." Papyrus looked at the TV. "THAT WOULD BE NICE. DO YOU KNOW IF METTATON IS STILL FAMOUS HERE?"

She nodded. “Yeah. I think I have a few episodes of one of his shows recorded. Want me to start it up for you?” She asked.

Papyrus grinned. He knew Mettaton would always be famous! "YES."

Ora clicked on the TVs and navigated the menus with practiced ease. “Here you go. Enjoy!” She handed him the remote.

"THANKS." Papyrus leaned forward and watched eagerly as Mettaton put on a variety show.

She grinned and headed back to the kitchen to grab a snack for herself, of the mundane variety. Maybe after she’d see how Sans was doing, but she didn’t want to push. Sans seemed to be resting in the room, eyelights out and eye sockets somehow mostly closed.

“Oh!” She exclaimed softly, starting to backpedal so that she didn’t bother him.

Sans twitched, eyes opening. The red eyelight burned, scanning the room for what woke him up. He reached for something, but didn't find it. He watched the human retreat and settled down to keep watch. He wouldn't fall asleep so easily again.

Ora made her way back to the living room where Papyrus was watching Mettaton. She waved at him and set up her nest under the desk, curling up in it with a mostly finished beading project to complete.

Papyrus grinned and waved at Ora as she came in and settled into her nest. "THAT LOOKS VERY COMFORTABLE."

“It is!” She grinned, tying a final knot in the bracelet she was working on, before tugging on various spots to check how sturdy it was. “Nests are the best.”

"MY BROTHER WOULD PROBABLY LIKE ONE. IT WOULD AT LEAST BE BETTER THAN THE WAY HE LETS HIS BLANKETS GET DISGUSTING AND FAIL TO USE THEM."

She snickered. “There are enough blankets and such in my...in the bedroom if you or he would like to make one. Or if you want me to help, let me know.”

"I WILL," Papyrus assured her. Not right away, of course. Sans certainly wouldn't be relaxed enough for a nest. He didn't even know if his brother would sleep at all tonight, despite definitely needing to. He needed his rest to help keep up with how much magic he burned. All the food tonight would definitely help make things better. Papyrus grinned happily at the thought. The stir fry had been so good and crisp, and savory.

“How much sleep do you guys typically need?” She asked, curiously. “I want to make sure to stay quiet for long enough for you.”

"OH, YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THAT WITH SANS," Papyrus assured her. "HE CAN SLEEP THROUGH ANYTHING. AND I ONLY NEED FOUR HOURS EACH NIGHT." He had never slept much. He slept less now.

“Well, you’re also in a strange place, in a strangers house. I’d be surprised if you both trusted me enough to really sleep right away.” She pointed out.

"OH, DOES IT BOTHER YOU TO HAVE STRANGERS IN YOUR HOME?" Papyrus asked.

“Me? No, not at all. I wouldn’t have offered if it did.” She waved away that thought quickly. “I’m more concerned for you two. New world, a human’s home, everything being different.”

"YOU FORGOT FOOD," Papyrus pointed out quickly. "WE GOT TO EAT LOTS." He beamed.

She chuckled. “Yeah. And you can continue to eat lots. There’s a ton of food here.” That shouldn’t be something papyrus was getting excited about, but she’d make sure it became as commonplace as possible.

"IT'S WONDERFUL." Papyrus beamed widely. "YOU WON'T STRUGGLE TO EAT, THOUGH, WILL YOU?"

“Nah, I’ll be just fine.” She promised. “I need to cut my portions down anyway.” She grinned.

"NO!" Papyrus slammed his fist on the couch, lurching to his feet.

“What?” She jumped, almost hitting her head on the bottom of the desk.

"YOU CAN'T CUT DOWN ON YOUR FOOD," Papyrus said firmly. He stepped toward her. "YOU HAVE TO EAT."

How to explain cutting down on food for health reasons to someone who was literally starving. She sighed and crawled out to stand next to him. “I’m not talking about stopping eating or anything like that. But I am overweight. Eating a little less will actually be good for my health. I promise I will still eat enough to be healthy though.” She wasn’t sure she was explaining it correctly.

"HOW DOES THAT WORK?" Papyrus worried. "OH, IS THIS BECAUSE OF ME AND SANS? I CAN CUT DOWN ON MY PORTION SO YOU CAN EAT ENOUGH."

“No!” She rushed to assure him. “I’ve been needing to do this for a while, and this just gives me the push to actually do it. It’s a choice I can safely make. You keep eating as much as you want and need to. Trust me about this, okay?”

"HOW IS THAT GOOD? YOU NEED TO EAT."

Ora thought for a moment. “Okay, so I’m 5’3 and weigh 230 pounds. According to most medical professionals, a woman my height should weigh between 130-150 pounds. Give or take. So I’m about a hundred pounds heavier than I should be. Does that make more sense?”

Papyrus blinked. "HUMANS HAVE AN AVERAGE WEIGHT?"

“Yeah. I mean it varies from person to person, but there’s a range we should fall in to be healthy. Being overweight or obese puts a lot of extra stress on our innards.”

"OH MY," Papyrus exclaimed. He tilted his head. "AND...YOU HAVE TO EAT LESS?" Wasn't there another way?

“Honestly, the biggest problem is that I eat too much. Eating less is just eating a normal amount for a human of my age and stature.”

Papyrus wrung his hands. "IF YOU SAY SO." He'd just have to do some research and make sure that was really true.

“I’m sure all humans look extra squishy to you, but I’m way too squishy.” She assured him. “Would you like a hug?”

"YES." He walked over and opened his arms for a hug. Ora gladly hugged him tightly.

“Hey Papyrus, wanna help me with meal planning?” She asked, an idea striking her. Maybe having a hand in when and what food was prepared and served would help him feel more comfortable with it all.

Papyrus nodded. "THAT SOUNDS NICE."

“Do you want to do that now or would you like to wait?” She asked. There was a part of her, larger than she’d like, wanted him to say no so she could get some sleep, but making sure Papyrus and Sans were comfortable was considerably more important.

"YOU AREN'T TIRED?" He'd thought she was settling down to sleep.

“I’m used to that. If it would make you feel better we can do this now.” She smiled genuinely. He didn’t need to worry about her.

Papyrus twisted his hands, battling with himself. At last he shook his head. "NO. THIS CAN WAIT."

“Hun, if it’s bothering you this much I really don’t mind staying up a bit later...earlier, whatever.”

Papyrus shook his head. "NO, NO, I INSIST. FIRST THING IN THE MORNING."

“If you insist.” She stifled a yawn. “Do you need anything before I take a nap?”

Papyrus shook his head. He gave Ora one last squeeze before going back to the couch and resuming his show. "JUST REST WELL."

“Alright hun. Make sure you get the rest you need as well.” She curled up in her nest again, this time falling asleep fairly quickly to the sounds of the variety show. It was odd having the skeletons settling in her house, but she was so glad she was able to help them.


End file.
